Charges: Tacoma man harassed ex-girlfriend for days before violent standoff with deputies
A man accused of harassing his ex-girlfriend, repeatedly violating a protection order then shooting at Pierce County sheriff’s deputies while trying to avoid arrest in Tacoma has been charged.
Leldon Roy Ovechka, 41, is charged with 20 crimes in Pierce County Superior Court, four of which stem from an arrest in March when he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
On Tuesday, Ovechka was charged with four counts of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, stalking, two counts of felony harassment, residential burglary, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, intimidating a witness and four counts of violating a no-contact order.
He pleaded not guilty at arraignment, and his bail was set at $2 million.
Ovechka has a history of domestic violence. According to court records, He was convicted in 2011 of harassment causing bodily injury and reckless endangerment for allegedly threatening to kill his then girlfriend and holding their baby in one hand and a knife in the other. In 2016, he was convicted of harassment causing bodily injury for allegedly threatening to kill the same woman.
In March, Ovechka was arrested when a new girlfriend called police on him for allegedly pointing a handgun at her and threatening to kill her. The same month, Ovechka was charged with first-degree theft for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of property from an auto sales business. That case is pending.
In a psychological evaluation completed in April, Ovechka wasn’t formally diagnosed with any mental illnesses, but the psychologist wrote that an understanding of the man’s mental status was complicated by his recent use of psychoactive drugs. The evaluation also showed that Ovechka was admitted to Western State Hospital for 15 days in October 2010 for a competency evaluation.
Ovechka posted a $60,000 bail in April. Seven months later, according to newly filed charging documents, Ovechka began showing up at his ex-girlfriend’s residence — in violation of a no-contact order — harassing and threatening the woman and her children.
He was located Sunday after deputies received a tip about his whereabouts. He fled from police to a wooded area, where he shot at pursuing deputies and police dogs tracking him. He was taken into custody just before 1 a.m. Monday.
Charging documents gave this account:
Between Nov. 16 and 21, deputies responded to five incidents involving Ovechka and his ex-girlfriend, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause.
Prosecutors wrote Ovechka threatened to hurt the woman if she wouldn’t have sex with him, forcibly broke into the home of the woman’s 24-year-old daughter, smashed a window on one of his ex-girlfriend’s vehicles and showed up at her place of work.
On Nov. 21, the woman was driving with her two children, ages 12 and 7, when she passed Ovechka on McKinley Avenue East. According to the probable cause statement, Ovechka turned his car around and followed her, speeding and swerving between cars.
The woman told police she believed Ovechka was going to shoot her, and she told her kids to duck down. Ovechka eventually turned and stopped following her.
Deputies received a tip at about 9 p.m. that day that Ovechka was in the 1400 block of 72nd Street. When deputies found him there in a vehicle, Ovechka took off at high speeds, prosecutors wrote. Deputies pursued his car to 6200 Pipeline Road East where he left his car and fled on foot into the woods.
Negotiators tried for several hours to get Ovechka to come out by making announcements over a PA system, but he did not respond, according to the probable cause statement.
Four deputies and a police dog began searching the woods, and about 50 yards in, several rounds of gunfire rang out, prosecutors wrote. One deputy described seeing a red light followed by the sound of bullets whizzing by. In front of him, he saw another deputy fall to the ground and thought that he was shot.
The deputy who fell to the ground was not injured. He also described seeing a red dot or light followed by gunshots. The deputy dropped to the ground and screamed out to the police dog in front of him, thinking the dog had been shot.
No one was injured, and the deputies retreated, fearing Ovechka was waiting to ambush them, prosecutors wrote. Nearby residents later told Tacoma police they were on their porch when the shooting occurred, and one of the bullets hit their house.
An officer in an airplane later located Ovechka, and a SWAT team was deployed at about 9:30 p.m. They found him just before 1 a.m. unresponsive but breathing.
Prosecutors wrote that he appeared to be having a seizure, and when he was treated by EMTs, Ovechka told them he shot himself in the head. The man was taken to the hospital.
Deputies recovered a semi-automatic pistol and one bullet casing in the woods near the spot where Ovechka was found and detained.
This story was originally published November 26, 2021 at 2:20 PM.
